A group of Montenegrin boxers was banned from entering Moldova on Wednesday, February 15, information announced in a post on the Facebook page of the Montenegrin sports club. According to the posted information, they were supposed to participate in the international tournament “Pavel Lusceschii” which is taking place in Moldova on 15-17 February.

“On today’s trip, our team faced an unexpected situation. At the airport in Chisinau, the police did not allow our team to enter Moldova without explanation. After several hours of waiting, we were told to return on the first plane leaving for Istanbul at 9:20 tomorrow morning and from Istanbul to Podgorica at 19:40 in the evening. Unfortunately, the participation of our boxers in the international tournament “Pavel Lusceschii” ended before it started,” reads the message posted on the Facebook page of the Montenegrin boxing club.

The Border Police confirmed to Ziarul de Gardă that it had banned the entry of several foreign citizens to Moldova in order to “exclude security risks”.

“The Border Police states that in the last 24 hours several foreign citizens were refused entry into Moldova on the grounds that they did not meet the conditions for authorization to cross the state border. At the same time, we remind that after February 24, 2022, with the establishment of the emergency situation related to the war in the immediate vicinity of the state border of Moldova, all foreign citizens will undergo a special control upon entering the country, in the context of excluding security risks,” Raisa Novițchi, spokeswoman of the Border Police, told Ziarul de Gardă.

Earlier, Maia Sandu held a press conference on Moldova’s security situation in which she gave details of Russian plans to destabilise Moldova. According to the president, the plan involves using foreigners for violent actions and contains instructions on the rules of entry into Moldova for citizens of the Russian Federation, Belarus, Serbia and Montenegro.